The evening sun spilled into the practice room.
Haneul leaned against the wall, trying to steady her breath. Taeyo stood by the mirror, letting out a small sigh.
“Still awkward?” Taeyo broke the silence.
Haneul forced a smile.
“A little? It’s even weirder when it’s just us.”
After a pause, Taeyo spoke more seriously.
“Haneul. Did you feel anything…strange during practice today?”
Haneul froze. She remembered yesterday’s accidental touch, the odd flash of a past life.
But she just shook her head.
“No, not really. I just can’t focus well.”
Taeyo scratched his head and tried to laugh it off.
“So it’s just me being weird? You’re on my mind a lot lately.”
Haneul felt her heart do that annoying little jump.
Just then, the door burst open. Sujin and Jimin came in, arms loaded with snacks.
“Stop working so hard! You’ll need energy for the all-nighter,” Sujin announced.
Jimin scribbled a ‘midnight practice’ schedule on the board. Haneul and Taeyo looked at each other in shock.
“All night? Tonight?”
Sujin poked Haneul with a grin.
“Don’t worry, you two together could talk until morning.”
Taeyo shot Sujin a glare and then glanced at Haneul. Haneul tried not to stare, but her unspoken feelings sat right at the tip of her tongue.
Suddenly Jimin grinned and clapped his hands.
“First person to give up tonight gets a penalty!”
The four of them burst out laughing and the overnight practice kicked off. But between Haneul and Taeyo, their true feelings still hung in the air, unspoken.
Only the two of them noticed how their glances felt different now.
The night stretched on, and so did everything left unsaid.